Town will not be playing a home friendly during their pre-season ahead of 2017/18, TWTD understands.

Traditionally the Blues have played a game against foreign opposition on the Saturday prior to a season’s start with Belgian visitors Royale Union Saint-Gilloise winning last year’s match 2-1.

Having initially planned to do the same this summer and after holding preliminary discussions regarding potential opposition, Town instead arranged their final friendly away against League One Charlton.

The Blues visit the Valley on Saturday 29th July with the Championship campaign starting a week later on Saturday 5th August.

Town will learn their opening day opponents and their other league fixtures when they are announced on Wednesday 21st June.

We understand the Blues have been keen to get their pre-season programme set in stone early this summer with no further senior friendlies still to be announced. The full list, including some of the U23s games, available here.

As has been the case in previous summers, the squad, which is due back from their close season break on Monday 26th June, will spend a week at the Carton House Hotel in Co Kildare prior to an Ireland-based friendly, this year at Drogheda on Saturday 8th July.

The lack of a late July home friendly will be good news for Town’s groundsmen as it will give them further time to work on the pitch following the Elton John concert on Saturday 17th June.

The Portman Road surface, which showed significant signs of wear and tear in the latter half of the season, is being renovated, as has been the case in previous summers.

Meanwhile, Town sources have again dismissed reports from the North-East claiming that the club received an additional £1 million for Daryl Murphy following Newcastle’s promotion to the Premier League.

The Blues previously rejected the claims when they first appeared in August shortly after the Irish international joined the Magpies for £3 million.

Photo: TWTD

truckerblue added 12:13 - May 25 So does that mean the price of all the membership packages that include a ticket to a home pre season game will come down then?? Or are they planning a surprise for all the fans that can't be arsed to go to the away pre season games for the first home game by playing football on the deck with a dynamic attacking midfield and deadly strikers that only need a sniff of goal??? It's ok I've had the gin taken from me and been put into a darkened room.

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Yallop added 12:14 - May 25 Lazio owe us one.
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BigAlsMate added 12:16 - May 25 Well that's another nail in the coffin as far as I am concerned. The owners of our club are showing just how much they care about supporters. Sorry but I won't be shedding any tears if it all goes pear shaped this season.
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NBVJohn added 12:27 - May 25 It would be a good move for the club to offer a valid reason for this. A supposition around 'Good news for the Groundsman' doesn't really do it for me I'm afraid. Some decent communication from the club might actually lead me away from an assumption that it's the lazy, unambitious, short-sighted, sod the supporters thinking that we have come to expect from ME/Milne and their chums. I won't hold my breath though. I suspect that the traditional 'prestige friendly' is expensive in terms of stewarding and police for a low return as the crowd isn't usually that big. God forbid though, that the 7,000 or so that do go have a good day out and an early opportunity to see new signings etc. [yes, I know that's an 'if']. Either that or MM will issue a statement to tell us how much he hates pre-season, and therefore simply couldn't be bothered, or Suffolk Police laughed Milne out of the room when he asked them about policing the event. More sad times - shameful in fact.

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Juanforthemoney added 12:27 - May 25 Is that because we won't be able to field a full team of 11?
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lightingblue added 12:33 - May 25 Its to do with the police. Have yet to pay them for the painting of the turnstiles yet
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jpring89 added 12:34 - May 25 Still holding out for Lazio then
2

jas0999 added 12:37 - May 25 I suspect we have been unable to attract a bigger name. These top clubs at that stage of pre season want some sort of test. Ipswich - with our injury prone cheap freebies - are no longer deemed a test. That leaves below average teams who may fancy playing us - just like that team last year. But the club can't flog season tickets let alone tickets to a watch a division two Dutch side. The whole situation under Evans is disgraceful. How on earth a manager who repeatedly slags off the fans and offers no entertainment is still here is beyond me. Evans doesn't care.

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martin587 added 12:43 - May 25 Such a shame,Just what is going on at our club.An explanation would be nice.! 🤔🤔
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DoseOfReality added 12:56 - May 25 Wont pay for stewards & police... disgrace & glad I quit tickets... I had really struggled with missing what ITFC means to me but the longer it goes on the more you think WTF they don't deserve fans
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MooseJuice added 13:03 - May 25 Just now waiting for the Mick lovers to come on here and tell us it's a genius move from our leader as it's one less opportunity for McGoldrick to pick up an injury.
3

Matt_Portman added 13:10 - May 25 When's the Southend game
0

PhilTWTD added 13:14 - May 25 truckerblue Have asked the club re the membership aspect, although reading ITFC Direct it does say something along the lines of if a friendly takes place. Nevertheless, would be good for them to offer something else in lieu. Re speculation re policing/stewarding etc, won't be anything to do with that, won't have got to that stage. Also pretty minimal in the grand scheme for those games given the numbers and lack of away following.

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PhilTWTD added 13:21 - May 25 Matt_Portman Sounds like Mick was either mistaken or that just ended up not happening.
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Bergholtblue added 13:35 - May 25 Probably want to avoid all the negative chanting before the season starts proper
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tractorboybig added 13:36 - May 25 would anyone bother to turn up and watch anyway?
2

SouperJim added 13:54 - May 25 A bit bemused by this. Has the attendance for these dropped to the point that they are no longer profitable for the club (given running costs)? Trying to resist the temptation to moan about everything, but this seems a bit mickey mouse. Oh well.
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nsblu1 added 13:55 - May 25 Shame. I took my son to the one against the Belgium team last season, he had only just turned 3 so didn't last the whole game, but i was intending to take him again on the assumption we'd have one ahead of next season.
1

Pilgrimblue added 14:01 - May 25 Couldn't have said it better Jas. The whole situation is unacceptable and all we'll get is short shrift from MM to further wind up fans. Still there's still hope he'll get snapped up by some unsuspecting club in the summer break, leaving us to go Dutch!
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howdonblue added 14:08 - May 25 It'll be because Evans won't be splashing the cash and so McCarthy won't get grief at the home friendly! Let's hope I'm wrong but isn't it awful being an Ipswich fan under this pathetic regime! Nothing to look forward to at this time
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howdonblue added 14:13 - May 25 Hear hear Jas Pathetic joke we are at this moment of time An insult to those great super blues sides of the past ! A shell is what our once great club is !
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Tony88 added 14:30 - May 25 Perhaps we are saving the money for our new manger Gary Monk
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cranky_old_tractor added 14:31 - May 25 Perhaps they do not want to see the actual number of pre-season tickets sales unit they have to?
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inghamspur added 14:32 - May 25 This is disappointing - surely can find someone to play - what about Fortuna?
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HARRY10 added 14:45 - May 25 The usual arrangement is for the home club to pay the visiting club a fee. Possibly the club worked out that with lower ST uptake those paying would also be lower in numbers. Which in itself does not bode well, as the club will have to factor into it's playing budget a £1m (and more) less this season. It's a sign of the times, and not a one off either. A continuous slide.

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